greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley) (09/25/85)
Since there were several articles mentioning Sibelius' songs, I thought several readers might be interested in a few recordings I happened to know of, even though most are out of print. To my knowledge, most of the songs were written with piano accompaniment. Therefore, most of those performed with orchestra are using someone else's orchestration. Two recordings in this category that are good enough to merit listening are the one, previously mentioned, recorded by Kirsten Flagstad in 1959 with the London Symphony Orchestra under Oivin Fjeldstad, and another by her "successor", Birgit Nilsson, coupled with other (to me) less interesting Scandinavian songs, made in the mid 60's. The Flagstad was originally released in the U.S. on London Records, and was subsequently reissued on their lower priced "Opera Treasury" label. Flagstad was in her mid 60's when this was recorded. Her age shows in occasional high notes that don't have the bloom and ease they might have earlier (although she hits a B-flat solid enough to chin yourself on in "Hostkvall") but the depth, beauty, and steadiness of the voice are phenomenal. Nilsson's record has steely power rather than warmth and beauty, along with hair-raising top notes (such as an optional high C in her rendition of "Hostkvall"). An outstanding record of Siblius songs with piano was made in the late 50's by the bass Kim Borg. This was first issued on the American Decca label here (when Decca was in charge of distribution of DGG) and later came out on better-sounding imported DGG pressings. This has been out of print for nearly 20 years and is very difficult to find. In the late 60's, Tom Krause made two records of Sibelius songs. The first had Sibelius songs on one side paired with R. Strauss Lieder on the other. The second record was devoted completely to Sibelius. These were both on the London label. I find the interpretations sensitive and powerful when needed, the voice generally rich and beautiful except for an occasional top note that is outside of his comfortable singing range. I have at home a record by a Finnish mezzo-soprano on a Japanese label, whose name I can't recall (if anyone is interested, I'll look it up). I've only listened to it once since buying it, since I found the voice extremely unattractive. Recently, a new multi-record set (which may be "complete") was issued in Europe by Decca, and is available here in import shops, in which the songs are divided between Tom Krause and Elisabeth Soederstrom. I haven't heard the records, but fairly recent concert performances I have heard by both of these singers would indicate that the records should be excellent. One work which stands outside the category of "songs" is the tone poem for soprano and orchestra, "Luonnatar". It is rarely performed, probably because of the fact that it is fiendishly difficult to sing and that it needs its original language (Finnish). The earliest recording I know of is by the soprano Aino Ackte, made in the late 30's, for whom the piece was written. This was reissued on an English EMI record which also included the 4th Symphony, conducted by Schneevoigt. A superb performance, with superb recorded sound, was made by Gwyneth Jones with the London Symphony under Antal Dorati by EMI in the late 60's - sad to hear the steady, opulent outpouring of sound and compare it with the tremulous shreds to which Jones' voice deteriorated very quickly thereafter. Very fine recordings made with voices of less sheer richness are the one by Tara Valjakku with the Bournemouth Symphony under Paavo Berglund, also by EMI, in the late 70's, and a digital recording (available on CD) with Soederstrom and the Philharmonia Orchestra under Ashkenazy (paired with the 4th Symphony and Finlandia). I haven't heard the other recording made in the late 60's with Phyllis Curtin and Leonard Bernstein. I'm sure there are others of note. These happened to be ones that I either have or have heard. - Greg Paley